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samchase112's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
5.0
Part memoir, part essay, John Green's collection of reviews is startlingly profound and deeply thoughtful. There is something for everyone: history, biology, literature, pop culture, sports. I have realized that John Green is just...my kind of guy. We share many of the same interests, many of the same dreams, the same fears. So hearing him detail his anxieties and the things he finds joy in through this carefully constructed narrative was just so damn interesting and engrossing.
Non-fiction John Green is undeniably superior to fictional John Green.
Non-fiction John Green is undeniably superior to fictional John Green.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer
Minor: Animal death, Child death, and Death
bookwormenthusiast's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
I loved every single part of this book! As a fan of John Green's other books and an avid watcher of Crash Course, I felt that this was an extension of everything else he's done. As I was reading, I couldn't help but hear John's voice, explaining his thoughts as he would in any number of his YouTube videos. This book was not only entertaining but made me think about so many things that I take for granted day to day. I was already familiar with most of these topics, so it simply reminded me how they fit into the grand scheme of things and made me consider my own experiences with them.
My biggest suggestion: don't read this book all at once, take a chapter or two a day. As much as I was intrigued by the writing and wanted to keep reading, I felt that I was absorbing too much information at once if I didn't take it a little at a time. Instead, by reading a chapter or two a day, I allowed myself to sit with what I had read a bit more and really process what I was reading.
While I wanted to give this a perfect 5 stars, I couldn't. First, there were a few mistakes within the writing that could have been picked up before publication. For example, in one of the chapters there was a footnote, but no indication within the text of what that footnote was in reference to. I usually don't mind when this happens in writing, mistakes can be missed, but since this is nonfiction, it took away a bit from the writing. Second, I felt that the use of pictures could have been used more. The one time it was used I felt more immersed within the writing and that both author and reader were on the same page. Also, having pictures only present in one chapter seemed a bit out of place.
Overall, this is one of those books that I feel everyone should read at least once in their lives. But for those who grew up with Crash Course and loved it, this should be at the top of your list.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Cancer
scruffie's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
I could hear John's voice in my head while reading this book. Simultaneously sad and anxious and hopeful, it felt very comforting to me; exactly what I needed right now. Medium-paced most of the time, but also slow-paced, on occasion.
Probably like others before me, I give the Anthropocene Reviewed five stars.
Probably like others before me, I give the Anthropocene Reviewed five stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Genocide, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Medical content, Grief, and Alcohol
Moderate: Terminal illness and Antisemitism
Minor: Drug use, Slavery, Vomit, Islamophobia, Colonisation, and War
mathildem's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Antisemitism, Medical content, and Grief
Minor: Cancer, Genocide, Alcohol, and War
anniefwrites's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
This book accomplishes so much. It's imbued with the same care and thoughtfulness that Green has used to make YouTube videos for many years. He captures a sliver of the human experience yet showcases its beautiful, terrible, ephemeral nature. When the big things in life were overwhelming me, this book focusing on small things and small experiences was a welcome respite. I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys learning about both important events and useless trivia, to anyone struggling to get back into reading (the essays are short and easily absorbed), and to anyone who is tired of toxic positivity when they are feeling down. This book felt like someone sitting beside you when you're hurting and just being there.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, and Medical trauma
robiok's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Genocide, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, and Medical trauma
kimi72714's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
This book pulled me out of my reading slump in the way that only the writing of John Green can do.
I knew many of the stories from Vlogbrothers videos, and so, even without the audiobook, John was reading aloud to me in my head.
This book made me cry laugh with lines like "But you do so much yoga!", and real laugh with lines like "I've read more books on Hamlet than parenting".
The pandemic is still going, and I'm still huddled inside my house to keep myself and my community safe, but this book reminded me how to fall in love with the world.
The wind is whipping around my house as a big weather front moves through, which is very common this time of year. But I can hear the kids next door squealing in delight as they play in their backyard, and I'm grateful for a connection to the wider world.
I give The Anthropocene Reviewed five stars.
I knew many of the stories from Vlogbrothers videos, and so, even without the audiobook, John was reading aloud to me in my head.
This book made me cry laugh with lines like "But you do so much yoga!", and real laugh with lines like "I've read more books on Hamlet than parenting".
The pandemic is still going, and I'm still huddled inside my house to keep myself and my community safe, but this book reminded me how to fall in love with the world.
The wind is whipping around my house as a big weather front moves through, which is very common this time of year. But I can hear the kids next door squealing in delight as they play in their backyard, and I'm grateful for a connection to the wider world.
I give The Anthropocene Reviewed five stars.
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, Medical content, and Alcohol
ntvenessa's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
A scrapbook of memories reflecting on the life of one, John Green, in the modern world, the Anthropocene. Indeed, it is phenomenon forward, and analyses our human relationship toward such phenomena. It shows that the distance between person and subject is not so distinct as we imagine, and that our experiences of a thing, contribute to the thing, as well as vice versa. It is about the density and quality of connection hewn in the modern world. The writing is deeply introspective and generous, and the themes broadly applicable to all. The essays capture the experiences of events spread across the spectrum of a life well lived, and indeed still living. Ultimately it is a beautiful, hopeful read, and personally my favourite Green novel. I rate The Anthropocene Reviewed five stars.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Antisemitism, Grief, Colonisation, and War
balkeyeston's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
My favorite (and coincidentally the most emotionally devastating) reviews:
• Humanity’s Temporal Range
• The World’s Largest Ball of Paint
• Sycamore Trees
I haven’t read a John Green book since TFIOS first came out. The Anthropocene Reviewed provides readers a way into the ever-pondering mind of Green that we often catch glimpses of in his waxing philosophical YouTube walks through nature on his co-produced channel, vlogbrothers. This essay collection taught me how to dig deeper into understanding the nuances of the human condition, as well as how I can begin to embrace the existential doom that is my chronic anxiety and depression and view them as continuous waves of emotional and meaning-making movement. What an incredible way to see the world, and our place as participants in it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Cancer
Other content warnings: existentialism as it relates to climate change, human materialism, capitalism, fears of futility and extinction
• Humanity’s Temporal Range
• The World’s Largest Ball of Paint
• Sycamore Trees
I haven’t read a John Green book since TFIOS first came out. The Anthropocene Reviewed provides readers a way into the ever-pondering mind of Green that we often catch glimpses of in his waxing philosophical YouTube walks through nature on his co-produced channel, vlogbrothers. This essay collection taught me how to dig deeper into understanding the nuances of the human condition, as well as how I can begin to embrace the existential doom that is my chronic anxiety and depression and view them as continuous waves of emotional and meaning-making movement. What an incredible way to see the world, and our place as participants in it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Cancer
Other content warnings: existentialism as it relates to climate change, human materialism, capitalism, fears of futility and extinction
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief
Other content warnings: existentialism as it relates to climate change, human materialism, capitalism, fears of futility and extinctionspaceraspberry's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Cancer, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, and Medical content
Minor: Antisemitism